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Spirituality and common prayer
l2. In its primary mystical component, every authentic Christian community
is seen in "itself a theological reality, an object of
contemplation".(28) It follows that a religious community is,
above all else, a mystery which must be contemplated and welcomed with a heart
full of gratitude in the clear context of faith.
Whenever we lose sight of this mystical and theologal dimension which
binds religious community to the mystery of divine communion, present and
communicated to the community, we inevitably come to forget the profound
reasons for "making community", for patiently building fraternal
life. This life can sometimes seem beyond human strength and a useless waste of
energy, especially to those intensely committed to action and conditioned by an
activist and individualistic culture.
The same Christ who called them, daily calls together his brothers and
sisters to speak with them and to unite them to himself and to each other in
the Eucharist, to assimilate them increasingly into His living and visible
Body, in whom the Spirit lives, on journey towards the Father.
Prayer in common, which has always been considered the foundation of all
community life, starts from contemplation of God's great and sublime mystery,
from wonder for his presence, which is at work in the most significant moments
of the life of our religious families as well as in the humble and ordinary
realities of our communities.
13. As a response to the admonition of the Lord, "watch at all times,
and pray" (cf. Lk. 21:36), a religious community needs to be watchful and
take the time necessary for attending to the quality of its life. Sometimes men
and women religious "don't have time" and their day runs the risk of
being too busy and anxious, and the religious can end up being tired and exhausted.
In fact, religious community is regulated by a rhythmic horarium to give
determined times to prayer, and especially so that one can learn to give time
to God (vacare Deo).
Prayer needs to be seen also as time for being with the Lord so that He
might act in us and, notwithstanding distractions and weariness, might enter
our lives, console them and guide them. So that, in the end, our entire
existence can belong to him.
14. One of the most valuable achievements of recent decades, recognised and
blessed by all, has been the rediscovery of liturgical prayer by religious
families.
Communal celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, or at least of
some part of it, has revitalised prayer in many communities, which have been
brought into more lively contact with the word of God and the prayer of the
Church.(29)
Thus, all must remain strongly convinced that community is built up
starting from the liturgy, especially from celebration of the Eucharist(30)
and the other sacraments. Among these other sacraments, renewed attention
should be given to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, through which the Lord
restores union with Himself and with one's brothers and sisters.
As happened in the first community in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 2:42), the
word, the Eucharist, common prayer, dedication and fidelity to the teaching of
the Apostles and their successors, put one in touch with God's great works; in
this context, these works become resplendent and generate praise, thanksgiving,
joy, union of hearts, comfort in the shared difficulties of daily life
together, and mutual encouragement in faith.
Unfortunately, the decrease in the number of priests may, here or there,
make it impossible to participate daily in the Mass. In these circumstances, we
must be concerned to deepen our appreciation of the great gift of the Eucharist
and place at the very heart of our lives the Sacred Mystery of the Body and
Blood of our Lord, alive and present in the Community to sustain and inspire it
in its journey to the Father. From this derives the necessity that every
religious house have its own oratory as the centre of the community,(31)
where members can nourish their own Eucharistic spirituality by prayer and
adoration.
It is around the Eucharist, celebrated or adored, "source and
summit" of all activity of the Church, that the communion of souls is
built up, which is the starting point of all growth in fraternity. "From
this all education for community spirit must begin".(32)
15. Communal prayer reaches its full effectiveness when it is intimately
linked to personal prayer. Common prayer and personal prayer are closely
related and are complementary to each other. Everywhere, but especially so in
some regions and cultures, greater emphasis must be placed on the inner aspect,
on the filial relationship to the Father, on the intimate and spousal
relationship with Christ, on the personal deepening of what is celebrated and
lived in community prayer, on the interior and exterior silence that leaves
space for the Word and the Spirit to regenerate the more hidden depths. The
consecrated person who lives in community nourishes his or her consecration
both through constant personal dialogue with God and through community praise
and intercession.
16. In recent years, community prayer has been enriched by various forms of
expression and sharing.
For many communities, the sharing of Lectio divina and reflection
on the word of God, as well as the sharing of personal faith experiences and
apostolic concerns have been particularly fruitful. Differences of age,
formation and character make it advisable to be prudent in requiring this of an
entire community. It is well to recall that the right moment cannot be rushed.
Where it is practised with spontaneity and by common agreement, such
sharing nourishes faith and hope as well as mutual respect and trust; it
facilitates reconciliation and nourishes fraternal solidarity in prayer.
17. The Lord's injunction to "always pray and not lose heart"
(Lk. 18:1; cf. 1 Thes. 5:17) is equally valid for personal prayer and for
communal prayer. A religious community lives constantly in the sight of its
Lord and ought to be continuously aware of his presence. Nevertheless, prayer
in common has its own rhythms whose frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or
yearly) is set forth in the proper law of each institute.
Prayer in common which requires fidelity to an horarium also and above
all requires perseverance: "that by steadfastness and by the encouragement
of the scriptures we might have hope..., that together you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 15:4-6).
Faithfulness and perseverance will also help overcome, creatively and
wisely, certain difficulties which mark some communities, such as diversity of
commitments and consequent differences in schedules, overwork which absorbs
one, and various kinds of fatigue.
18. Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, animated by a love for her which
leads us to imitate her, has the effect that her exemplary and maternal
presence becomes a great support in daily fidelity to prayer (cf. Acts 1:14),
becoming a bond of communion for the religious community.(33)
The Mother of the Lord will help configure religious communities to the
model of "her" family, the Family of Nazareth, a place which
religious communities ought often to visit spiritually, because there the
Gospel of communion and fraternity was lived in a wonderful way.
19. Common prayer also sustains and nourishes apostolic impulse. On the one
hand, prayer is a mysterious transforming power which embraces all realities to
redeem and order the world. On the other, it finds its stimulus in the
apostolic ministry, in its daily joys and difficulties. These then become an
occasion for seeking and discovering the presence and action of the Lord.
20. Religious communities which are most apostolically and evangelically
alive -- whether contemplative or active -- are the ones which have a rich
experience of prayer. At a time such as ours, when we note a certain
reawakening of the search for the transcendent, religious communities can
become privileged places where the various paths which lead to God can be
experienced.
"As a family united in the Lord's name, [a religious community] is
of its nature the place where the experience of God should be able in a special
way to come to fullness and be communicated to others",(34) above
all to one's own brothers and sisters within the community.
Men and women consecrated to God will fail to meet this historic
challenge if they do not respond to the "search for God" in our
contemporaries, who, will then perhaps turn to other erroneous paths in an
effort to satisfy their thirst for the Absolute.
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